Ornamental fabric for handbags



April 1, 1947. D. D. WHYTE ET AL MENTAL FABRIC FOR HANDBAGS Filed Nov 28, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 DA NIL-L p. wnyrs NICHOLA S KLEIN RNEY.

April 1, 1947. o. D. WHYTE ET AL ORNAMENTAL FABRIC FOR HANDBAGS I 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Filed Nov. 28, 1944 I I I i I/II/IIIIIIl/I/II DAN/EL D WHYTE INV ORS lVlChfl -fis KLEIN ATTOR N BY.

Patented Apr. 1, 1947 QRNAMENTAL FABRIC FOR; HANDBAGS Daniel D. .Whyte, Brooklyn,

and N h a Kle n,

Laurelton, N. Y.; said Klein rassignor to said Whyte Application'November 28, i944, Serial -N0. 565, 521

spam 1 invention .generally relates to :flexible decorative materials, such as :may be employed for. coverings for handbags, pocketbooks, belts and other accessory articles of apparel, or similar products, and is specifically directed to a novel and improved material of this character as well as to'the method of making the same.

Decorative coverings for handbags or the like have been heretofore generally produced byarranging a number of uni-ts side by side, in definite patterns or designsand interconnectingorinterlacing the units :by means of tapes or the like traversing the units, usually at right angles to each other, through openings provided therein. The structure thusformed is then applied to the object to be covered bysecuring thereto the free ends of the tapes.

A material of the aforementioned character, while being substantially flexible and adaptedfor application to curved surfaces andin .general flexible=bodies, isnot entirely satisfactorybecause of :certain shortcomings inherent therein. In the first place, the manufacture of the material is comparativelycomplicated and expensive, .due to the necessity of passingnumerous tapes through a large number of openings, tensing the tapes accurately to insureprop-er interconnection of the units and securing allthe ends of the. tapes to the bject-to which the material is to be applied.

A further serious defect. of such structures consists in that-the units: are notinterconnected at their base but in a plane above the base andonly at points intermediate their sides. For this reason. and ,since the interconnectingmeans .are

flexible and c annot:be tensed beyond acertain to.al1 materia1s of the character described employing interlaced units, is eliminated in other types .of ornamental coverings in which the units are notinterlaced but individually secured at their base to :a backing sheet, by sewing. This method, howevenbesides being objectionable because ofthe considerable amount of sewing requiredand the presence of a number of exposed lines of stitching, necessarily involves-the use of units formedwith a fiat base portion to be sewed to the. backing sheet; therefore, the finished ma- M 2 .terial will always present decorativepor-tions: separatedrfrom each'pther by flat surfaces, .withxthe resulting limitation in the range of ornamental effects attainable.

"Theprimary object of the.inventioni-sgtherefore to :provide a decorativematerial or covering :of the character described, which, besides possessing a high degree of flexibility, is free of the defects inherent in the structures of the prior ,art, consists of elements assembled in such Aamanner :as to prevent any objectionable displacement thereof, and is simple and inexpensiveto manufacture. Y I

Another object of the invention is -to provide a method wherebythe use of units interlacedby means of tapes or the likemaybe-entirely dis- .pensed with, .and a decorative .material' having the desired requisites expeditiously .produced without necessity of sewing the base of the units upon a backing sheet. The method comprises the assembly of a plurality of preformed units and flexible elements adapted for interas'sociation in apredetermined manner, and the simultaneous connection of the units to the flexible elements in a single operation,

A further and more specific object isto provide a material consisting of rigid units associated with flexible elements in such a manner as to produce a longitudinally and transversely-flexible structure, the rigid units being provided with portions whereby the units-maybe connec-tedtothe flexible elements at a pluralityof spaced points adjacent their base.

It is alsowithin the scope of the invention to provide units embodying portions deformable 'to permanently secure the units toassociatedflexible elements of the structure, in a final phase of the manufactureof the material.

These and otherobjects will become apparent thefollowing description of the invention illustrated inthe drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the, fmner face of oneof the units employedinthe formation of .a decorative @material ,accordingto the invention.

Eig. 2 is a perspective view showing the, Iouter .face of the unit of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a. perspective view. of oneof theflexible strips tobe assembled with the un' s to form the complete material. I Fig.4 is a'bottomplan view ,of, a portion. of the decorative material in an intermediate ,p ia or .construction, illustrating the ,manner in which the units and the flexible stripsareassembled.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through a portion of the material, illustrating the final phase of formation thereof.

Fig. '7 is a bottom plan view of a portion of flni-shed material.

Fig.8 isa composite perspective view of portions of the material bent to illustratethe flexibility thereof.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a handbag embodying a covering of decorative material according to the invention. 7

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 10 designates the substantially rigid decorative units employed in the formation of the material, which, in the embodiment illustrated, are shown as shallow hollow formations or shells, of substantially square contour comprising a top wall II and a peripherally extending flange or wall 12. The

outer face of'the wall H may be provided with anydesired design for the purpose of ornamenta- 7 tion.

The units It which may be made of a suitable v moldable thermoplastic material, have, preferably '5 formed integral therewith, projecting elements or -*pins '14 disposed at the corners of the hollow structure and extending, inwardly of the flange J. l2,'from the inner face of the wall H to a point zzbeyond the edge of the flange defining the base of the unit, for the purpose that will hereafter --become apparent.

In the production of the material, the'units,

' formed. as described, are turned upside down to 'gpresent upwardly extending pins l4, and are disposedside by side in a jig I5 (shown in Fig. 6), qwith their flanges l2 substantially in contacting relation, toprovide series of longitudinal and transverse rows of alined units, the pins I4 being wherefore disposed in uniformly spaced alined groups of four, each formed by pins of four con-- tiguous units. I

: The rows of units are interconnected by means of a suitable material, preferably in the form of elements or strips l6, which, besides possessing a considerable degree of flexibility should also be strong and, preferably, capable of normally maintaining its shape. A cellulose acetate plastic may he, for instance, advantageously used in the formation of the strips, which are provided with groups of holes IT, uniformly spaced from each other for registration with the groups of pins l4.

A number of the strips 16 are laid upon the edges of the alined flanges l2 of the units IU of adjacent longitudinal rows and further strips are superimposed upon the strips so applied, at a right angle thereto, to overlie the edges of the alined flanges l2 of the units of adjacent transverse rows, the pins I4 projecting through and beyond the holes ll of the strips, alined with the pins, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The structure is completed by means of peripheral strips I8,

' overlying the edges of the flanges l2 of the outermost units l0 and projecting outwardly of the periphery of the structure. Said peripheral strips l8 areidentical to the strips 16, except in that their outwardly projecting portion is provided with a series of additional alined holes It, as shown in Fig. 4, for the purpose that will become later apparent.

The application of the strips, in the aforemenr tioned relation to the rows of units, may be ad vantageously effected by feeding the flexible holed material from a pluralityof rolls 2| (one of which is indicated inFig. 5) suitablylocated laterally of 4 the jig I5, to place the groups of holes I! in registration with the groups of pins l4, cutting the material to the required strip length and displacing the strips to their flnal position illustrated.

The units [0 and associated strips [5 and I8, assembled as described, are secured together to complete the formation of the material, in a final phase of the construction thereof and in a single operation. As illustrated in Fig. 6, for this purpose the portions of the pins extending beyond the strips I6 are subjected to the action of a pressure plate 20, under suitable pressure and heat determined in relation to the characteristics of the plastic material used for the units, and deformed to provide enlarged end portions or heads 22 forming abutm'ents effective to prevent separation of the strips from the pins and to inend productobtained comprises units 'that:are

secured to the strips H6 at their four corners, so that ny objectionable relative displacement of the units and strips is positively prevented. On the other hand, the longitudinally and transversely extending rows of units are interconnected by the flexible strip material; relative angular movement of the rows of units is therefore permitted, and an articulated structure is formed which is longitudinally/"and transversely bendable in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8. In order to facilitate bending of the structure and prevent undue strain on the flexible strip material, the. pins l4 loosely fit within the holes 11, these latter being of a somewhat greater diameter than the pins, so as to permit a limited displacement of the units relative to the associated strips, or, in other words, a limited expansion of the structure during bending.

The flexible decorative material produced as described is adapted for application to a variety of articles, as exemplified by the handbag 24 shown in Fig. 9, the material being readily applied and secured to the body of the article to be covered by means of lines. of stitching passing through the aforementioned series of holes l9 provided in the peripheral strips H3.

The invention has been described substantially Q with reference to a preferred embodiment therei of; it is however to be understood'that changes and modifications may be made'in the structure illustrated, particularly with regard to the shape of the decorative units, the number, arrangement and connection to the units of the projecting elements or pins, and the character and conformation of the flexible material associated with the units, without departing from the spirit of the I invention or exceeding the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. Aflexible decorative material comprising a number of substantially rigid units arranged to form longitudinally and transversely extending series of rows, a plurality of flexible strips juxtaposed to portions of the base of the units of adjacent longitudinal and transverse rows, and a plurality of elements projecting from each unit and passing through said flexible strips, said projecting elements having enlarged portions adapted to secure the flexible strips to the units,

2. A flexible decorative material comprising a I number of substantially rigid decorative units arranged side by side to form longitudinally and transversely extending series of rows,'a plurality of flexible strips juxtaposed to portions of'the jacent longitudinal and transverse rows, each of said units embodying a plurality of spaced projecting elements arranged inwardly of the periphery thereof, said elements passing through the flexible strips and being formed at the ends thereof with retaining heads adapted to secure the flexible strips to the units, whereby to provide flexible interconnections for the adjacent rows of units.

4. A flexible decorative structure comprising a number of units of moldable plastic material arranged side by side to form series, of longitudinally and transversely extending series of rows, a plurality of flexible strips juxtaposed to portions of the units of adjacent longitudinal and transverse rows, each of said units embodying a plurality of integrally formed spaced projecting elements passing through the flexible strips and having enlarged end portions providing abutments adapted to secure the flexible strips to the units.

5. A method of producing a decorative flexible material, which comprises forming a number of units embodying a plurality of elements projecting therefrom, arranging said units in side by side relation, interconnecting the projecting elements of adjacent units by means of a flexible material having holes for the passage of the projecting elements, and shaping the ends of the elements to form enlarged retaining portions adapted to prevent separation of the strips from the elements.

6. A method of producing a flexible decorative material, which comprises forming a number of substantially rigid decorative units embodying a plurality of integral elements projecting therefrom, arranging said units side by side to provide a series of longitudinal and transverse rows of units, applying to the adjacent longitudinal and transverse rows of units a plurality of flexible strips provided With holes for the passage of said projecting elements of the units, and shaping the free ends of the projecting elements of the units to form retaining heads for the strips.

7. Amethod of producing a decorative flexible structure, which comprises forming a number of units of thermoplastic material embodying a plurality of integral spaced projecting elements, arranging said units in side byside relation, interconnecting the projecting elements of adjacent units by means of flexible strips having openings for the passage of the elements, and deforming the end portions of the elements under heat and pressure to permanently secure said flexible strips to the elements aforesaid.

8. A method of producing a decorative material, which comprises forming a number of units each embodying a plurality of elements projecting therefrom, arranging said units in side by side relation with their projecting elements extending upwardly, to form series of longitudinal and transverse rows of units, feeding a series of flexible strips having openings for alinement with projecting elements of the units of adjacent longitudinal and transverse rows, passing said projecting elements through said openings of the strips, and deforming the ends of the projecting elements to secure the strips to the units.

DANIEL D, WHYTE. NICHOLAS KLEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

